Rivets announce 2017 schedule

The Rockford Rivets’ second season will open right after Memorial Day, with the home opener set for June 1.

The Rivets announced their 2017 Northwoods League schedule on Wednesday. The league which produced this year’s National League Cy Young Award winner, Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals, and World Series Most Valuable Player, Ben Zobrist of the Chicago Cubs, plays a 72-game season from late May through mid-August.

The Rivets’ season begins with a pair of 6:05 p.m. games on May 30-31 at Kalamazoo.

The 36-game home schedule starts with a four-game homestand at the beginning of June. The Rivets host the Wisconsin Woodchucks June 1-2 and the Battle Creek Bombers June 3-4.

Standard start times for home games are 6:35 p.m. on weeknights and Saturdays and 4:05 p.m. on Sundays.

The fan-friendly schedule begins after the end of the school year for most Stateline districts and ends before kids are due back in class. It includes 13 total Friday and Saturday dates.

“Last season we averaged over 1,100 fans on those nights, with our four game pack combined with fireworks and other promotions, we think that number will increase dramatically this season,” Rivets general manager Chad Bauer said.